Teenage Depression - A Way Out

Parent's Guide to Teen Depression

Contents:

  • Tips and Tools for Helping Yourself or a Friend
  • What is teen depression?
  • Is my teen depressed?
  • More on this topic for:
  • Teenager's Guide to Depression

    • You may be tempted to drink or use drugs in an effort to escape from your feelings and get a "mood boost," even if just for a short time. However, as well as causing depression in the first place, substance use will only make depression worse in the long run. Alcohol and drug use can also increase suicidal feelings. Aim for eight hours of sleep each night. Feeling depressed as a teenager typically disrupts your sleep.

    For many teens, stress and anxiety can go hand-in-hand with depression. Unrelenting stress, doubts, or fears can sap your emotional energy, affect your physical health, send your anxiety levels soaring, and trigger or exacerbate depression. Anxiety Disorders and Anxiety Attacks: Recognizing the Signs and Getting Help. Perhaps you endure intense anxiety attacks that strike without warning, get panicky at the thought of speaking in class, experience uncontrollable, intrusive thoughts, or live in a constant state of worry.

    Managing the stress in your life starts with identifying the sources of that stress: If exams or classes seem overwhelming, for example, talk to a teacher or school counselor, or find ways of improving how you manage your time. Exercise, meditation, muscle relaxation, and breathing exercises are other good ways to cope with stress. If your own negative thoughts and chronic worrying are contributing to your everyday stress levels, you can take steps to break the habit and regain control of your worrying mind.

    Look for common warning signs of teen depression:. Teens typically rely on their friends more than their parents or other adults, so you may find yourself in the position of being the first—or only—person that your depressed friend confides in. While this might seem like a huge responsibility, there are many things you can do to help:.

    Teen Suicide Prevention

    Get your friend to talk to you. Starting a conversation about depression can be daunting, but you can say something simple: I really want to help you. Is there anything I can do? Your friend just needs someone to listen and be supportive.

    By listening and responding in a non-judgmental and reassuring manner, you are helping in a major way. Encourage your friend to get help. Urge your depressed friend to talk to a parent, teacher, or counselor. It might be scary for your friend to admit to an authority figure that they have a problem. Having you there might help, so offer to go along for support.

    Tips and Tools for Helping Yourself or a Friend

    Cut back on your social media use. Both are a recipe for worsening symptoms. We really wished we could have talked to her more about it or she would have talked to us. Living with a depressed teenager can be difficult and draining. Is my teen depressed? Unfortunately, teens are known for their unhealthy habits:

    Stick with your friend through the hard times. Depression can make people do and say things that are hurtful or strange. But your friend is going through a very difficult time, so try not to take it personally. Once your friend gets help, they will go back to being the person you know and love. In the meantime, make sure you have other friends or family taking care of you. Your feelings are important and need to be respected, too.

    Speak up if your friend is suicidal. If your friend is joking or talking about suicide , giving possessions away, or saying goodbye, tell a trusted adult immediately. Your only responsibility at this point is to get your friend help, and get it fast. Even if you promised not to tell, your friend needs your help. Depression — Nemours Foundation. Depression in Teens — Mental Health America. Is it Just a Mood or Something Else? While adults tend to isolate themselves when depressed, teenagers usually keep up at least some friendships.

    However, teens with depression may socialize less than before, pull away from their parents, or start hanging out with a different crowd. Hormones and stress can explain the occasional bout of teenage angst—but not continuous and unrelenting unhappiness, lethargy, or irritability. Seriously depressed teens, especially those who also abuse alcohol or drugs, often think about, speak of, or make attempts at suicide—and an alarming and increasing number are successful. If you suspect that a teenager is suicidal, take immediate action! For hour suicide prevention and support in the U.

    To find a suicide helpline outside the U. To learn more about suicide risk factors, warning signs, and what to do in a crisis, read Suicide Prevention. If you suspect that your teen is depressed, bring up your concerns in a loving, non-judgmental way. Then ask your child to share what he or she is going through—and be ready and willing to truly listen.

    Focus on listening, not lecturing. Resist any urge to criticize or pass judgment once your teenager begins to talk. The important thing is that your child is communicating. Be gentle but persistent. Talking about depression can be very tough for teens. Simply acknowledging the pain and sadness they are experiencing can go a long way in making them feel understood and supported.

    If your teen claims nothing is wrong but has no explanation for what is causing the depressed behavior, you should trust your instincts. The important thing is to get them talking to someone. Depressed teens tend to withdraw from their friends and the activities they used to enjoy. But isolation only makes depression worse, so do what you can to help your teen reconnect.

    What is teen depression?

    Make face time a priority. Do what you can to keep your teen connected to others.

    Encourage them to go out with friends or invite friends over. Participate in activities that involve other families and give your child an opportunity to meet and connect with other kids. Get your teen involved. While your teen may lack motivation and interest at first, as they reengage with the world, they should start to feel better and regain their enthusiasm.

    Doing things for others is a powerful antidepressant and self-esteem booster. If you volunteer with them, it can also be a good bonding experience.

    Is my teen depressed?

    Physical and mental health are inextricably connected. Depression is exacerbated by inactivity, inadequate sleep, and poor nutrition. Unfortunately, teens are known for their unhealthy habits: But as a parent, you can combat these behaviors by establishing a healthy, supportive home environment. Get your teen moving! Exercise is absolutely essential to mental health , so get your teen active—whatever it takes. Think outside the box: Set limits on screen time.

    Teens often go online to escape their problems, but when screen time goes up, physical activity and face time with friends goes down. Both are a recipe for worsening symptoms. Provide nutritious, balanced meals. Make sure your teen is getting the nutrition they need for optimum brain health and mood support: Encourage plenty of sleep. Teens need more sleep than adults to function optimally—up to hours per night. But I feel certain I can relate with some of the thoughts that were in her mind.

    More on this topic for:

    This resource pack tackles the issue of depression including its causes and the tell-tale signs that parents and teachers can look out for. There is also a section. Parent's Guide to Teen Depression: Recognizing the Symptoms and Helping At the time, they could not see another way out, but in truth, they didn't really.

    I remember the feeling that my life had no worth, that I was destined for failure and no matter what happened in my life, there would be a gray cloud of hopelessness eternally hovering over me. For them, everything is right now and concrete. While the thoughts I had in the woods that day have long since passed, I often think of what might have happened had my body not instinctively shut down. As a teenager, I was infatuated with sports. Like Olivia, I was a high school athlete who showed potential. Olivia was a rising junior coming off a promising sophomore campaign for the Elizabethtown softball team, which appeared in both the L-L League and PIAA District 3 playoffs.

    Teenager's Guide to Depression

    Emily Brubaker was a senior on that Elizabethtown squad and remembers Cook for her determination to always get better. But the outpouring on social media after her death reminded us that she was more than an athlete. She was a friend, a daughter, a year-old girl. She leaves behind a collection of people who will miss her to a magnitude that cannot be simply measured in "likes" and "retweets.

    For me, it is easy to understand why Brubaker was shocked. After that, I remember first trying to talk to my friends about my personal troubles. Their advice to seek professional help had little to no effect on me.

    Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms and Helping Your Child

    After all, I was the homecoming king, class president and a varsity athlete. I ignorantly assumed that admitting I had any kind of mental issue would be a sign of weakness. But what I did get from opening up was a better understanding that I was not alone.